Fairview Heights – Attorney General Lisa Madigan today announced
the grant of state-of-the art computer hardware, forensic software and
training to the Waterloo Police Department. The equipment and training
comes through a federal grant awarded to the Illinois Internet Crimes
Against Children (ICAC) Task Force as part of its mission of increasing
the forensic capabilities of Illinois police agencies in the recovery
of evidence in child exploitation cases.

Joined by Waterloo Mayor Terry Kipping, Madigan applauded the commitment
by Chief Joseph Brauer and Captain Suzanne Sweet of the Waterloo Police
Department in using the equipment and training to help protect Metro
East children from sexual predators.

“As younger children become more frequent Internet users, the
need to protect them from the dangers lurking on-line has increased,” Madigan
said.

“The Waterloo Police Department, in association with Attorney
General Madigan and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, is committed
to making the Internet a safer environment for our community and our
children,” said Chief Brauer.

According to a national survey of youth conducted by the National Center
for Missing and Exploited Children ( www.missingkids.com),
34% of youth surveyed reported seeing sexually explicit material on-line,
9% of youth reported being harassed on-line and 13% of youth surveyed
reported being solicited for sex on-line.

“We must be vigilant in protecting the children of Illinois from
the threat of on-line predators,” Madigan said. “This equipment
will further enhance the ability to identify, arrest and prosecute sexual
predators.”

Illinois’ Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (“ICAC”),
based in the Attorney General’s Office, was created in 2004 and
is funded through a grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention. Currently, approximately 60 law enforcement agencies statewide
are partners of ICAC and work collaboratively to combat child victimization
in Illinois.

ICAC’s goal is to identify, arrest and convict sex offenders
who prey on children using computer technology - including the Internet.
In the first six months of 2006, Illinois ICAC was responsible for the
arrest of 34 individuals for crimes including child pornography, indecent
solicitation of a child, sexual abuse and sexual assault.

As part of its work, ICAC acts as a statewide clearinghouse for receiving
and investigating tips, including cybertips received from the National
Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Along with leading investigations,
ICAC conducts forensic exams on computers and provides technical assistance
to law enforcement agencies throughout the state. Additionally, Madigan’s
High Tech Crimes Bureau and ICAC provide internet safety trainings to
parents and children in communities around the state. In the first nine
months of 2006, Madigan’s High Tech Crimes Bureau and ICAC have
trained 18,000 students and parents on internet safety.

The equipment that Madigan’s office is providing to the Waterloo
Police Department will be housed at the Metro East Cyber Crimes and Analysis
Task Force (MCCA), which is headquartered at the FBI office in Fairview
Heights.

“The ICAC Task Force and this grant are prime examples of how
law enforcement at all levels – federal, state, county and local – are
working together to deliver Internet crime fighting resources throughout
the state,” Madigan said.

This month, Illinois ICAC will provide funding for Waterloo Police
Captain Suzanne Sweet to attend training on the use of the new computer
software designed to allow forensic analysts to examine the contents
of a computer and other evidence. In August, Captain Sweet attended the
ICAC National Conference in Dallas.

Madigan also recognized Detectives Michael Bazzell of the Alton Police
Department and David Vucich of the Madison County Sheriff’s Department
who will also take advantage of the forensic software training. Earlier
this year, Detective Vucich attended the ICAC Investigative Techniques
course offered by the National ICAC.

More information on Illinois’ Internet Crimes Against Children Task
Force, including information on how to protect children from on-line dangers,
can be found at www.illinoisicac.org.